Teen Titans: Season X
by EVIL B0B
Summary: Despite their Successes in defending Jump City, the Titans East still remain unrecognized by many... But now, they have to face the greatest foe any Titan has ever faced... Born of an unholy alliance between two great supervillains, she is The Ravager.
1. Episode Guide

Hey guys! Listen, I know I've been gone for a long time (Most of you probally have not noticed), and unfortunantly during that period my computer crashed. As a result, all that remains of Season X is... well, Episode four and Episode five. But anyway, here they are...

... Heres the unfinished Trailer I made in flash...

htt p://w ww.you tub e.c om/watc h?vjv n7vy CHsoU (remove all the spaces)

And now, the old episode guide.

**(X01-523) Acceleration**

Kid Flash takes up temporary residence with the Titans East, and Más y Menos are not too happy about it. A rivalry is quickly kindled that results in a competition to see which speedster has the most zing- but when the other Titans East are captured in their absence, can the three work together to save the team?

**(X02-522) The Absolute Worst Date EVER**

With the Brotherhood of Evil gone, Robin is finally able to find time to take Starfire out on a "real" date. Being the Rich team leader he is, he's able to take her to the finest restaurant in town- Pizza migliore che l'altra Pizza. But the Titan couple is not the only one with their eyes on the menu… Old rivalries are rekindled in a showdown of unexpected proportions!

**(X03-521) Enemy of my Enemy**

Slade sets up his new Headquarters in Steel City, planning to take out the new Titans team that formed in his absence. Finding themselves suddenly threatened by one of the greatest villains the titans have ever known, can the Titans East rise to the occasion?

**(X04-520) Freak Out**

Mother Mae-Eye has replaced the "nasty-wasty" Jump City television programming with her own, kid-friendly television show…Which runs all day, on every channel! Unless society wants to spend eternity watching the Adventures of Mr. Pie, its up to Control Freak to do something good for once. And remember kids: Violence is wrong, especially against your Mother!

**(X05-519) The Feline Fatale**

The infamous assassin-thief known as Cheshire has escaped from her hold in Steel City Prison, and has sworn vendetta against the Titans that imprisoned her. Her hunt begins with the locals of course, and soon the Titans East find there very lives being threatened. Can anything convince the villain to sheath her claws?

**(X06-518) Roses and Thorns**

Rose Wilson was always told her father was dead, but the truth is stranger than fiction when Brother Blood begins to pursue her. Taking refuge with the Teen Titans, the clash will lead to a revelation that changes Rose's life forever.

**(X07-517) No Strings Attached**

The controversial hit musical about the life of the Puppet King has come to Steel City, and the Titans East decide to attend the opening performance. However, from the moment the lights dim, the Titans East know something is horribly askew- but the extent of the danger they are in is far beyond what they could possibly imagine.

**(X08-516) Soul Music**

Ding Dong Daddy has issued a challenge throughout the country to all teens with a knack for music. He's even promised a "spectacular" prize for whichever band can win this battle of epic proportions. But one group is interested in more than friendly musical competition...

**(X09-515) Rage against the Machine**

When Cyborg's mechanical half breaks down in the middle of combat, he drops by S.T.A.R. Labs for a tune systematic tune up. The next day, the titans awake to find a string of robberies and vandalisms that went undetected by the titan alert system. Who could possibly commit crimes with such efficiency?

**(X10-514) Pollution**

Aqualad has long stood for the marine world, but since joining the Titans East, he's spent less time under the sea. When a disgruntled tribe of mutant fish captures the Titans for use in their master plan, Aqualad realizes there are things in the water that even HE can't understand.

**(X11-513) The Ravager Pt. 1**

Rose returns reborn as the successor to her father that he wished her to be. Reeducated with the combined efforts of Blood and Slade, Rose dons the name Ravager.

**(X12-512) The Ravager Pt. 2**

Ravager has trapped the Titans East into the depths of their own tower, where they contact the Titans West for backup. But Blood and Slade are more than prepared for the arrival. Can anything stop their conquest, or have the Titans finally met there doom?

**(X13-511) The Ravager Pt. 3**

The finally to the season is so awesome, I'm not going to tell you bout it. HAH.

So that was all the planned episodes, and only 4 and 5 are actually still here. IF ANYONE HAS ANY FRAGMENTS OF THE OTHER EPISODES, PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SEND THEM TO ME. Without further ado, the two surviving episodes of Season X...


	2. Episode Four: Freak Out

**Prologue**

It was the moment millions of fans around the globe had been waiting for. The airing of the long anticipated movie, _Clash of the Planets: Origins_, and the unveiling of how the ambitious Space-captain Oleander was transformed into the devious Barron-Wrang. Across Jump City, nerds were tuning in everywhere—even the nerds locked up in prison.  
"At last!" Control Freak said, rubbing his hands together greedily. "All my questions, theories, and calculations will be validated!" He suddenly paused, as if fully realizing the full significance of what was about to take place. "This… has got to be the most significant moment in entertainment history since... since _Warp Trek V_!"  
Control Freak's eyes filled with tears of joy as he, with almost loving delicacy, pressed the power button on his remote to turn on the prison T.V. The display flickered on, and the Clash of the Planets theme echoed majestically around Control Freaks refuge, filling him with a warm, happy feeling as he sank comfortably into his seat…  
A warm, happy feeling that was promptly slaughtered when the television display flickered and faded away.  
"Huh?" Control Freak said, blinking twice. This had never happened in his dreams. He was even more confused when another image appeared on the screen, not of a stressed Captain Oleander, but instead of a plump women in a red dress and apron, who smiled out at him in a very, very, irritating way.  
"Hello my lovely-wovlys!" Crooned the women, "I'm so very happy to say that your sweet little eyes do not need to see the nasty-wasty shows mean ol' Mr. TV likes to give you."  
"But—but-" Control Freak stammered, his mouth agape.  
"You see, as your mother, I have decided to protect you sweeties myself! From now on, all shows will be aired by your very own mommy dearest. Hugs and Kisses, and remember—Mother loves you!"  
The feed changed, and a man dressed in a purple military suit and a pie-tin helmet dancing under the prominently displayed title of the show; _The Adventures of Captain Pie_.  
"Hi kids! I'm Pie! I'm the best thing there is for you to eat! I taste good, and I prove that your mother loves you when you eat me! After all, Such deliciousness could only be made by…?"  
"MOTHER!" screamed a whole bunch of kids, all with happy, pie stuffed faces.  
"That's right!" Captain Pie exclaimed giddily. "Because Mother loves you very much!" Then, to Control Freaks increasing horror, Captain Pie began to sing. "She loves you, yes she does, you and I both know its true, nothing can stop mother from loving you, because love is all she does!"  
Something clicked in Control Freak's head. Broken from his trance, Control Freak suddenly remembered that he was not in a luxurious refuge—he was in a prison cell, and the seats were, in fact, quite uncomfortable, and his dream had suddenly morphed into a nightmare. Mortified, he let out a scream of despair and anguish that would wake up every single other occupant of the prison.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_Theme Song: Japanese_

* * *

**Act One**

An electrical storm the previous night had fried the Titans Communication system, and right now there was no contact between the tower and the city- and at least one person was not happy about it.  
"When will the TV be fixed?" Beastboy asked for the third time that hour, causing his half-mechanical teammate to grip the wrench he was working with a little more firmly. Although hard at work, Cyborg was finding it hard to focus with his friend leering over him.  
"The same time I said before. Not now, not for a while, and if you keep bothering me, not ever." Looking over his shoulder, he saw Beastboy looking stunned. "But soon." Cyborg added as an after thought.  
"Not to add any more pressure, Cyborg," Robin said, who was filing his overly-detailed crime reports on the kitchen table, "but you really should try to get the communications system working as soon as possible. The city depends on us to be able to respond when there is an emergency that the police can't handle."  
"I know, I know," Cyborg reassured him, "But communications have only been down since this morning. I'm sure that absolutely nothing disastrous has happened since then."

"IT'S A COMPLEATE DISASTER—A TOTAL CATASTROPHY!" Control Freak sobbed, venting his frustration at no one in particular.  
"Oh, settle down, Wally," commented a very annoyed Mad Mod, "It is not the blooming end of the world."  
Control Freak glared at his cellmate. "Oh, right, Easy for you to say, seeing you don't know ANYTHING about television!"  
"Well, I do know you Yanks don't ever put the good shows on the telly." Mad Mod yawned. "Everything half decent is put out before the fortnight."  
"That's not true. AT ALL." Control Freak scowled.  
"Whatever you say, lad." Mad Mod said, stretching out on his cot. "Whatever you blooming say."  
"Why are you taking a nap in the middle of the day?"  
"British hours."  
"You haven't been to England for years!"  
"British Hours are better, and I stick to the code. Now shush. Right now I'm knackered, so let me get some shut eye. The Teen Titans will do their little hero deal, and everything with be dandy."  
"…Okay…" Control Freak said reluctantly, lying down on his cot and shutting his eyes, listening to the darkness.  
"Any luck contacting the titans yet?" Rang an officers voice from further down the prison halls.  
"No…" came the response from another officer, "We have been unable to reach them… and Jump City Broadcasting Co. is not returning any calls."  
Control Freak lurched back upright. "Did you hear that? They haven't been able to contact the titans!"  
"Well that's just lovely." Mad Mod said sleepily.  
"This leaves me no alternative. I am going to have to save television myself!"  
"Are you out of you blooming mind?" Mad mod said, looking at Control Freak through the corner of his eye. "You're a crook! Your not allowed to 'save' anything."  
"There ARE moral grays, thankyouverymuch."  
"Oh pardon me, moral grays…" Mad Mod said, "Lad, Your still blooming out of character."  
"SILENCE!"

Jump City Broadcasting Co. was a relatively uninteresting place to work. Every day, the company organized and broadcast hundreds of shows to hundreds of people. Of course, under their new leadership, they had reduced the total number of shows to one.  
"Eeee-he-he-he-ah-hah!" Mother Mae-eye cackled, shitting on a large, pink toybox. "Sweeties, Mother is very, very, proud of you all! Thanks to your good behavior, my message is being sent to millions of little sweetie-pies just full of juicy, juicy, love!"  
"We would do anything for you, mother." Said an army of brainwashed employees.  
"Aw, thats sweet of you, puddings; but Don't do it for mother, do it for the precious little children! My lovely little babies should not have to see such violence and profanity on a daily basis. I should protect them from such things, shelter them from the ugly, wugly world and keep them safe...forever!"  
"You're the best, Mother Mae-eye."  
"I know darlings, I know. I hope those meany-weany titans don't interfear, because you know how much i hate using violance."  
"Mother?" Said a brown-haired, female employee. Mother Mae-eye hopped off her toybox throne, and hobbled over to the employee.  
"Yes Vicky-pie?"  
Vicky pointed at the image on one of the security monitors. The display was that of the buildings main lobby, and a fat man in an overcoat was jumping from surface to surface, carefully checking the area for something.  
"Oh Deary me…" Mother Mae-eye said, watching Control Freaks incompetent attempts at stealth. "Well, that just won't do will it, sweetie? We don't want any nasty-wasty strangers breaking into our lovely home." Mother Mae-Eye pressed a button on the intercom.  
"Are you there, Cappy?"  
"Yes commander." Came the reply.  
"Cappy, there is an uninvited guest in our lobby. Is he a Titan?"  
"Negative, commander."  
"Well, see to it that you give him the full greeting anyway. I would not want to seem rude…"  
"Will do, commander."  
Mother Mae eye shut off the intercom and hobbled back to the pink toybox. Hopping on top of it, she smiled at the employees crowded around her.  
"Your all such lovely children." She said, "I think you good children deserve a treat!" Mother Mae Eye pulled out her magic spoon, and with a wave, produced a handful of enchanted pies, which she fed to the delighted workers.  
"We love you mother Mae-Eye!" Spewed the brainwashed workers.  
"Mother loves you too, darlings." Mae eye smiled, leaning against the chest. "And all your love is safe with me!"

"Digital log entry; begin." Control Freak talked into an imagionary wrist computer, "The time is fourteen hundred hours. I have infiltrated the building." Control freak crept clumsily behind the pillar, his orange hair reflecting clearly in the wall behind him. "No signs of opposition, yet."  
"You shouldn't talk to yourself son. Especially when trying to infiltrate a hostile fortress."  
"Who is that!? Who's there? Show yourself!"  
A mechanical sound bellowed behind him, causing Control Freak to jump out of his skin. A bright light illuminated the hall, as a man stood silhouetted against the light. "I am afraid I cannot allow you to interfere with the Commander's plans." The figure stepped out of the gleam. He was dressed in a purple military uniform which matched his eyes, and his skin was pasty yellow. "Your journey ends here, maggot."

* * *

**Act Two**

Control Freak snorted. "Oh NO. The horror. Captain Pie." The captains eyes narrowed at the sound of his name. "Sooo, What are you going to do," Control Freak taunted, "Sing at me?" Control Freak laughed at the officer, but his laughter quickly trailed off under Captain Pies cold gaze.  
"You've never been in a war, have you son?" Captain Pie said coldly, his purple military suit suddenly looking much less comical as he puffed a thick cloud of smoke from his cigar.  
"No, but… but… uh, WELL… I have trained since age 6 weeks. AND I've swum in a volcano, and like, traversed a treacherous blizzard without a SINGLE flake of snow touching me, and... and I have fought, uh, EVERY MONSTER KNOWN TO MAN!" Control Freak smiled at his boasting skills, and stuck "So, Do you really think that YOU have a chance, Captain Pie?"  
Captain Pie removed the cigar and narrowed his eyes. "A volcano?"  
Control Freak waved his arms dramatically. "Yeah. A volcano! ...And it was a really, really hot one!"  
"Well, you know what I think, maggot? I think...You just made that up."  
"Well then, your thinking is... just flawed, okay?"  
Dropping the smoke and crushing it with his foot, Captain Pie smiled wryly at Control Freak. "Regardless, son, I'm afraid this is the end of the line!" Captain Pie pulled out a large shoulder canon with a picture of a pie on the side. There was aloud bang, and Control Freak barely dodged the incoming projectile.  
The projectile exploded behind him in a mass of berries.  
"ALLRIGHT, that's just...just ODD!" Control freak said, as Captain Pie fired off more and more rounds of pies and the wannabe-hero.  
"You can't last son!" Captain Pie taunted, "These pies come from the commander herself, and they pack a punch!"  
Control Freak reached into his coat, and pulled out his four-beam sword. "Give me your worst!" Control freak said, striking a somewhat heroic pose. Then he, he charged.  
BAM! BAM! BAM! Captain Pie fired round after round at the approaching nerd, but Control Freak dodged and slashed at the incoming pies with exaggerated flips and spin attacks. Several times a pie nicked Control Freaks shoulder, leaving purple marks on the hit area. But none the less, it was not long before Control Freak had reached the attacking Captain.  
"VICTORY IS MINE!" Control Freak declared, grinning down on Captain Pie. "Face it, Captain. I so PWNED you!"  
"You really think I'm stupid, don't you maggot?" Captain Pie said, grinning sinisterly at the now confused fanboy. "You really think its over? Its not over yet, not by a long shot! Tanks? Berry him!"  
With a loud crash, the wall behind Captain Pie collapsed. Out of the smoke and rubble, came what looked like giant pies on treads—all with cannons pointed directly at Control Freak.

"Is the T.V. Fixed yet?" Beastboy whined, causing raven to roll her eyes.  
"I'm not even going to answer that, BB." Said Cyborg. Beastboy slid further down the side of the couch.  
"You could always try reading a book…" commented Raven, who was herself deeply engrossed in a novel.  
"You kidding? Too many words. And books never have enough action."

The Pie-tanks advanced on Control Freak, who stood motionless, like a deer in the headlights of an approaching truck.  
"You did not really think that I, as a captain, had based my entire plan on one to one combat, did you?" Captain Pie jeered, "Tanks, ready? FIRE!"  
Control Freak did not have time to act. A pie hit him straight in the face, sending him flying backwards as if thrown. Control freak staggered to his feet, wiping the berry off his face onto his sleeve. "Lucky shot, Pie for brains! I'm still—" His brain registered an approaching object just in time for him to duck another shot from an approaching Pie-tank. "Nice try!"  
"Well Maggot, no matter how many pies you dodge—you can't dodge a tank! Alpha, Run him into the ground!"  
There was a whirring sound, and the tank in front of the battalion accelerated. It was still not very fast, but it was fast for a tank. Control Freak took a defensive stance, and then flopped onto the treads in a fashion that looked significantly less cool than he would have liked to have appeared. Shoving his beam sword into the crust of the machine, He crashed through the top of the tank and entered the heart of the machine.  
The tank drove into the wall, backed up clumsily, and then aimed its torrent directly at Captain Pie.  
"INCOMING!" Captain Pie yelled, diving out of the way. Control Freak fired, and the pie exploded, sending the other two tanks flying. The walls pillars collapsed on top of the tanks, causing a huge explosion- and Captain Pies visibility was blocked by smoke and rubble.  
Captain Pie grinned. Nothing could have survived that explosion. He turned around, and then froze when he felt a hand grab his jacket.  
"No so fast, Captain Pie!" Control freak said.  
"You may have gotten lucky, maggot, but you will never beat me! I spent ten years in combat! I am a captain, while you are merely a fat, untrained nerd!"  
"Your old titles mean nothing here, Captain." Control freak said, drawing back his fist, his face contorted as if concentrating. "FLYING-FIST-OF-FACIAL-FLATTENING!" He blurted, and then slammed his fist into Captain Pie's face.  
The officers yellowish face gave way with a Squish!, and berries spilled out of the wound. Control Freak blinked, and slowly withdrew his berry covered arm.  
"Who would have thought..." Control Freak groaned as he dropped to the floor, exhausted, "Captain Pie… was made out of pie."

"Oh Dear!" Mother Mae-eye exclaimed upon seeing the images on the monitor, "Cover your eyes my sweeties! And no peeking! You don't want to see this nasty-wasty violence."  
"Mother, I'm scared."  
"Don't worry, mother will protect you. You are all very good children! But I'm afraid I am going to have to do something about this bad man… everyone take a nappy-wappy!" Mother Mae-eye snapped her fingers, and the entire room fell asleep.  
"Now…" Mae-eye said, her appearance transforming into that of the sickly green witch, "It's time for some discipline! Eh-he-he-he-he-hee!"

Control Freak crept down the halls of JCBC, searching for the server room. He only stopped once, to pocket some Clash of the Planets mint-condition action figures that one of the workers had placed in a cabinet display. "Awesome…" he whispered ecstatically to himself, before sobering up and continuing his hunt.  
Apparently, however, he needed to look no longer.  
"Well, someone has been very bad today." Came a disproving voice from behind him that he recognized immediately.  
"You…" He fumed, all his anger bubbling to the surface. "You… Hag!" He turned around, and screamed in surprise. "W-What?"  
"I'm sorry if I startled you, I'm feeling a little green.. Eh, he he he hee!"  
"Is that the best you can come up with?" Control Freak groaned. He swung his beam sword at Mother Mae-Eye, but Mae-Eye blocked the swing with her magic spoon.  
"Now, now deary. Violence is wrong, especially against your mother!"  
Control Freak turned around, and ran down the halls as Mae-Eye chased after him. Spotting a janitors closet, he threw open the door, grabbed a bucket of water and hurled it at the witch, hitting her straight in the face.  
"Ow! My Eyes!" Mae-eye yelped, clutching her face, but she failed to melt as Control Freak had hoped.  
"Your not melting!"  
"Of course not, but I am boiling! Mothers at the end of the line!"  
"I despise you!"  
"Quite boy, do you want to break my poor little heart?"  
"I don't believe you have any heart, lady!"  
"Pudgekins sure is a smart one today, Eee-he-he-he!"  
Control Freak swung his beam-sword at May Eyes head, but she disappeared at reappeared behind him.  
"As long as there is love in this world, I will never go away! NEVER!" Mother Mae-eye hit Control freak over the head with her spoon, and as the world darkened, she laughed. "Eh-he-he-he-he! Nighty-night, deary!"

* * *

**Act Three**

Control Freak opened his eyes, and promptly shut them again. The world was ablaze with colors, swirling around him like some sort of techno-hippy rave club.  
OPEN YOUR EYES, YOUNG CHAMPION. Came a voice that echoed inside his head.  
Control Freak slowly opened his eyes. He was floating in some sort of nexus of color, and he was pretty sure that this was not where he was supposed to be.  
YOU HAVE COME FAR, AND YOUR JOURNEY IS ALMOST OVER.  
"Do I even know you?" Control freak asked no one in particular.  
THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT.  
"Well, I think it is." Control Freak muttered, wondering if had somehow become trapped in a bad fan fiction.  
LISTEN TO ME, YOUNG CHAMPION. LONG AGO, MOTHER MAE-EYE HAD A HEART BAKED TO PERFECTION, A HEART WHICH KEEPS HER ALIVE AT ALL TIMES. BUT TO KEEP IT FROM GOING BAD, SHE TORE THE HEART FROM HER BODY AND PLACED IT IN A BOX, WHERE IT IS CONSTANTLY REJUVINATED BY THE LOVE SHE STEALS FROM CHILDREN. TO DEFEAT MOTHER MAE EYE, YOU MUST DESTROY THE SOURCE OF HER EVIL— HER HEART!  
"So, That's it? She has a heart in a box, and all I need to do to defeat her, is like, destroy the heart?"  
YES.  
"...Why are you telling me this?"  
IT IS WHAT I DO. I DO THINGS LIKE THIS.  
"Okaaaaaaaaaay." Control freak said. He shook his head and muttered to himself. "So... Worst. Plot device. Ever."  
GO NOW, YOUNG CHAMPION. DEFEAT MAE-EYE!  
Control Freak felt the world around him contort and dissolve, and suddenly everything was dark once again.

"Did you have a nice nap, pudgiekins?"  
Control Freak opened his eyes, and yelped. He was surrounded by pie-stuffed workers, in the center of the main communications room. And, he was encased in a giant pie, unable to move his arms. He could see his Beam Sword resting in the corner, and slowly he began to form a plan.  
"Since you love T.V. so much," Mae-eye said, now returned to her round faced form, "I thought we should extract that love and put it into the show."  
"What?"  
"Don't worry, Mr. Freak." Said Vicky, "Mother does this out of love."  
"She loves you very much, to use you in one of her pies!" Chimed in another worker.  
"I wish I could be a pie." Said an intern. Inside the pie, control freak fidgeted with his hands, trying to reach one of his large coat pockets.  
"Someday, Sweetie." Mother Mae eye said, patting the intern on the head. "Someday."  
Control Freak finally managed to grasp a pocket, and pulled out the Clash of the Planets action figures. _I have no choice…_ he thought, as he tore open Barron Wrang's original packaging.  
"I know it may be uncomfortable in there, sweetie." Mae-eye said, "but I'm going to make things so much better for you!"  
Control Freak burst out of the pie, and tossed Barron Wrang to the side. Diving past the workers, he grabbed his beam sword and activated it. His eyes darting from side to side, he spotted the pink toy chest, and ran for it.  
"NO! Children, STOP HIM!" Mae-eye screamed, her eyes widening as she realized what control freak was planning. The workers dived at Control Freak, but he deflected them with wild sweeps of his arms.  
Control Freak skidded to a halt in front of the pink toybox.  
"THOSE ARE MOTHERS THINGS!" Mae-eye screamed, running at Control Freak and waving her magic spoon.  
Control Freak threw open the lid of the toybox, to reveal… a pie. "You know what, Mae Eye?" he said, looking down at the pastry that lay inside the box, "I'm really not surprised…"  
And with a thrust of his beam sword, he destroyed the pie.  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mae-Eye screamed, stumbling backwards as if she had been hit. "My heart! You broke my Heart!" She shrank, faster and faster, purple smoke billowing around her, her cries becoming more and more high-pitched… until she was gone.  
There was a few second's of silence, and then the employees snapped out of it.  
"Oh thank heavens…" Vicky said, "If I had to eat one more pie, I would… you've saved—"  
She was cut off by Control Freak, who held a beam sword threateningly above her. "Don't waste my time." He said, "Just fix the network."  
"Yessir!" Vicky said quickly and nervously, and began pressing buttons on the control panel.

"All right, y'all." Cyborg said, brushing off some dust and packing away his tools. "Everything should work fine now. I rewired the interface and rebooted the satellite communications."  
"Sweet!" Beastboy said, grabbing the remote off the counter as he landed on the couch, "I was getting desperate for entertainment!" With a click of the remote, Beastboy turned on the television. A news reporter filled the screen.  
"We are here at the headquarters of JCBC, where an strange story has come to an even stranger conclusion."  
"Don't change the channel, Beastboy!" Robin said sternly, as the green Titan reached for the remote.  
"Just a few minutes ago, the very establishment upon which Network Television is based on was being threatened by the Super-mom known as "Mother Mae-eye," and her dangerously kid-friendly show, The Adventures of Captain Pie. Children everywhere were captivated by the messages of pie and love, and many parents found it impossible to wrench their kids away from the screens."  
"That's not good…"  
"Her attempted take over might have lasted for much longer, if an unlikely hero had not risen to the call. The hero was non-other then the supernerd Control Freak."  
"…I believe this is…unexpected?" Starfire said, pointing at the picture of Control Freak.  
"Your telling me…" Cyborg said.  
"The Teen Titans have failed to react to the situation, causing many residents of jump city to wonder if they are afraid to recognize Control Freak's heroics."  
The five titans looked at the screen in silence for a few seconds, until Raven broke the silence.  
"So, uh—what do we do about this?"

"AWSOME!" Control Freak squealed, clutching his prize in his hands. "A communicator!" He looked around the tower at the titans, beaming with pride. "So, this makes me a Teen Titan?"  
"No." Raven said, looking at Control Freak in disbelief. "It makes you an honorary titan."  
"Oh." Control freak said, a little crestfallen, but then he pulled himself together. "So, that means… what?"  
Robin looked exasperated, but maintained his serious attitude. "As an honorary titan, you are recognized as a benefactor and protector of society. You can contact us if you need help, or if something is going on that we have failed to notice.  
"And if we need assistance, we will give you the call, friend." Starfire added.  
This brought fourth a large snort from Cyborg, which caused Control Freak to glair at him. "Sorry," Cyborg said with mock sincerity, "There was, uh, a fly. Yeah. A fly that… that flew up my nose. You know those flies. Heh." Cyborg smiled widely at Control Freak, who still was suspicious that he was being mocked.  
"Anyway," Robin said, redirecting Control Freaks gaze back onto himself. "Being an honorary titan brings great responsibility, Control Freak, and I trust—"  
"Don't worry, sir!" Control Freak said, saluting, "you can depend on me!"  
"Well—"  
"But now, I must depart. Control Freak, away!"  
Control Freak waddled out of the room, leaving the other Titans staring at the door. There was a silence, and then Cyborg burst out laughing.  
Raven looked at robin questioningly. "Are you sure that was wise?"  
"It was the best thing to do." Robin said, trying to reassure himself of the fact. "He played a role in defending the city, and—"  
Robin was interrupted by a melodic ring from his communicator. Reaching down with  
"Greeting Titans." Control Freaks massive face filled up most of the communicator, a face which was covered up with what looked like a makeshift Slade-mask made out of a paper plate and a lot of marker.  
"Control Freak…?" Robin said in disbelief, "What are you wearing?"  
"I believe…" Control Freak cleared his throat, and continued in an unnaturally deep voice. "I believe you are mistaken. I am not Control Freak, Robin. I am your ARCH NEMISIS! SLADE!" Behind Robin, Starfire giggled, causing Robin to squeeze his communicator in a death grip.  
"Do you know what I am planning, Robin?"  
"No."  
"I am planning to destroy the city!"  
"Are you really?" Cyborg said, holding back another laugh.  
"Yes!" Control Freak said, completely oblivious to the sarcasm, "With these explosives!" Control Freak gestured at a stack of cardboard boxes, each box had "TNT" written in bold, red letters.  
Robin glared at the plate-masked cosplayer, and then snapped his communicator shut.  
"That's it. No hope left." Cyborg joked, "Slade is planning to blow up the city with a bunch of cardboard boxes! We are all doomed."  
"You know what team? I have changed my mind. Raven, where is he located?"  
Raven pressed a few buttons on the tower control panel, and then raised her eyebrows. "It looks like he's… Right outside the tower…"

"Hello?" Control Freak said, pulling off his homemade Slade mask and peering at his new communicator. "Titans? Are you there?"  
"Yeah, we are here." Robin said, causing Control Freak to jump. "You know, Control Freak, responsibility involves not dressing up and pretending to be Slade."  
"Uh," Control Freak said, trying to hide the boxes and mask from view, and then grinning nerviously at the titans, "I have no idea what you are talking… about."  
"Just give us the communicator." Raven said, holding out her hand tiredly.  
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Control freak screamed, clutching the device tightly in his hand. "It's mine! My own!"  
"Not anymore!" Beastboy said, popping up behind him. "Yoink!"  
"Hey!" Control Freak tried to chase after the titans, but they had already gone inside the Tower and locked the door. He banged his fists against the door, yelling to no one in praticuler. "Give that back! I earned that!" After a few hits, he stopped to catch his breath, and then yelled at the tower. "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS! YOU HERE ME? NEVER!"  
There was no reply.  
Control Freak's face fell, and he waddled off, away from the tower door. "Jerks." He muttered.

**Credits**


	3. Episode Five: The Feline Fatale

**Prologue**

Cheshire did not enjoy being caged. She had been in prison before, but never for more than a few nights. Every time she had escaped, and the people responsible for locking her up had been punished. Most governments did not bother sending her to prison anymore; as justice was not worth the risk.  
But this time, she was lost. She was locked up in a cell in an unknown city, and the guards that visited her worked with eerie organization. She could not bribe them, no matter how hard she tried.  
She sat in her cell, lounging on the bench casually. Her real expression was hidden behind her mask, the mask that had earned her the name she went by when on a job. A demonic cat face, Gray with purple stripes and bright green eyes, and a wide smile that haunted anyone who saw it. She was rather proud of her mask, it enhanced the effect and insured she would be able to return to civilian life when off the job.  
A click of the lock. Cheshire looked up, into the face of a standard security guard, giving off the vibes she had gotten from them all. "Prisoner Five-fifty nine, you are scheduled for cell transfer." he said, pointing a standard Taser gun at her, "Please come along quietly."  
Cheshire looked up at him, and rose to her feet, already forming a plan in her head. "What?" She commented to a second officer, who had slipped behind her and cuffed her wrists, "You boys afraid? Don't worry, I don't bite."  
The officer said nothing. Cheshire was escorted out the door and down the hall, where the officers were joined by two more guards. Cheshire smiled slightly to herself as she was escorted out into the open air for the first time, two guards in front of her and two behind.  
She found herself on a long steel catwalk, which looked a bit to medieval for her tastes. It crossed over a body of water, which appeared to separate the two sections of the prison, which appeared to be located on an island.  
"So, you're Cheshire." came a voice behind her. She started a bit, and then turned around. This guard was clearly younger than the rest, possibly a college drop out, and he did not give off the same sense of duty as the rest.  
"Yes," she said coolly, "I am."  
The guard chuckled. "I heard about you. Your supposed to be some great assassin." Cheshire smiled at the officers words. "Not that great after all, huh?" he continued, causing her blood to boil.  
"Please avoid talking to the prisoner." Said the front most officer sternly, glancing behind him. The guard fell silent, but Cheshire knew what buttons to press.  
"Well," Cheshire said conversationally, hiding all the anger in her voice, "Even the best sometimes make mistakes."  
The guard laughed arrogantly. "The best?" he said, looking at her. "You may have more reputation, but your no tougher then the rest of Steel City's prisoners."  
"Do not speak to the prisoner." The officer in front said again, but he was ignored.  
Cheshire grit her teeth behind her mask. "Is that so?" she said, finding it a bit harder to contain her anger.  
"Yeah, it is." The officer sneered. "You could try to escape, but that's why we have the Titans East here. To keep scum like you—"  
Cheshire spun around, sending her weighted hair crashing into the side of the guards head. He toppled forward, knocking another guard off balance as his gun clattered to the ground.  
"Hey!" the officer in front yelled, spinning around. Cheshire was no where to be seen. Suddenly, the officer next to him collapsed, A pair of broken handcuffs held taught against his neck.  
The officer spun around, but Cheshire was no where to be found. "Where did she go?"  
From her hiding place under the walkway, Cheshire smiled grimly to herself. She remembered now. It was the Teen Titans who had locked her up, humiliated her, and treated her like a common criminal. The Teen Titans were responsible, and the Teen Titans would be the ones to pay.

Theme Song: English

**Act One**

"Where are we going to eat?"  
"Mijo's tacos." Bumblebee said, trying to fly away from her team mate and his motorcycle.  
"…Again?" Speedy groaned, revving the engine into gear and keeping pace with his team leader. "We have taco's almost four times a week! Whatever happened to variety?"  
"Hey," Bumblebee said, glairing back at her teammate, "When you learn how to cook, we can have something else, all right?" She flew ahead once again, leaving Speedy sulking behind her.  
It was late in the afternoon, and Speedy was hungry. True, you could say he was always hungry, but this time he was REALLY hungry. But not for tacos.  
"Why can't we go out for sushi or something?" He called ahead. Bumblebee made no response. The sound of a throat clearing beside him caused him to glance to the right, where Aqualad was sitting, riding a large burst of water. Speedy grinned at him evilly, and revved his motorcycle into high gear.  
The trio stopped in front of a large Taco stand, where Más y Menos were already waiting, holding large bags of food and looking impatient.  
"¿Qué te duró individuos tan?" Más said, tapping his foot.  
"¡Hemos estado aquí para la media hora!" his brother continued.  
"We can't all move at one thousand miles an hour." Bumblebee said, a wry grin on her face. "Some of us have to obey the speed limit." Más y Menos grinned sheepishly, and handed out the bags of food to their comrades.

Cheshire slipped through the streets of the city, sliding from alleyway to alleyway, looking for any sign of the Titans East.  
"Hey cutie, you looking for something?" came a gruff voice behind her. Cheshire turned around, and smiled wryly when the speaker started at the sight of her mask.  
"Actually, I am." She growled, tilting her head at the man. "Do you know anything about the Titans East?"  
The man laughed uneasily. "Yeah, stay out of there ways. They don't like our types."  
"Do you know where I can find them?" She hissed, walking towards the man as he backed against the wall unconsciously.  
His laugh was hesitant now. "Really, I don't a lady like you could—" He gulped. How could you not gulp when someone was holding metal claws up to your neck? "Mijo's Tacos." He said, quickly, "It's a few blocks from here. Big Taco stand. You can't miss it."  
"Thanks." She said, dropping him to the ground. He looked up to see if he could find her, but she was already gone.

Speedy had finished his Taco, and was now moving on to Aqualad's uneaten taco. "I don't understand why you people keep getting me fish." Aqualad grumbled as his taco disappeared into Speedy's mouth. "I made it clear the first time I hate fish."  
"It's cheaper than the other tacos." Bumblebee said, slightly annoyed. "We don't have a rich ex-mentor funding all our expenses."  
"It's fifty cents of a difference." Aqualad said, "You could just take it out of Speedy's hair gel money!"  
"No way." Speedy said, licking his figures, "I need that hair gel."  
"Duck!"  
"Oh, I'm fine with duck. Ducks eat fish."  
Bumblebee did not even bother to correct him as she dived at Speedy and Aqualad, pushing them to the floor. A set of throwing knives became lodged in the wall, right where their heads had been a moment before.  
"Pity." Cheshire said, stepping out of the shadows across the street, "I was hoping I could finish this quickly."  
Speedy's eyes widened at the sight of the assassin who had capture him for the Brotherhood of Evil. "You!" he yelled, jumping to his feet.  
"Me." Cheshire said coolly.  
"Titans, Take her down!" Bumblebee yelled.  
Aqualad ripped a pipe from the wall, sending a stream of water flying at the assassin, the force of the stream increased by his powers. She lept over the stream easily, landing with a flourish on the other side of the stream.  
"Más y Menos, Sí Podemos!"  
The duo ran on the aquatic path, their speed keeping them above the surface of the water as they charged at the masked assassin. Cheshire did not have time to react as Más swung his brother by his hands, their momentum changing them into a human hammer. Cheshire went flying backwards, crashing into the wall on the other end of the street. She raised her head to see the duo already headed towards her with blinding speed.  
She hissed, pulling out a small tube and sliding it through her mask. "Night, children." She blew lightly, sending a dart flying straight at the duo.  
"Más!" Menos yelled as his brother toppled over, dragging him to a stop as they fell through the water that had held them up. Bumblebee caught them in mid-air, placing Menos and his fallen brother off to the side as she pulled out her stingers and flew at the masked assassin.  
Cheshire leaped through the air in a graceful twirl, slamming her weighted hair into Bumblebee's side. The assassin kicked out, rebounding of the Hero's body to changer direction in mid-flight, landing softly behind Aqualad. Aqualad spun around, but Cheshire leveled a kick to his face, sending him sprawling.  
"Is this all you've got, Titans?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked around at her foes, "You're not going to last at this rate."  
BAM! Cheshire was knocked off her feet by the impact of an arrow. Turning her fall into a roll, Cheshire spun around to face her attacker. Speedy stood on the roof of a building, another arrow already knocked to his bow.  
"Good move, Tiger." she said, her voice ringing with cruel amusement, "But let's see if you can do that again" She flicked her wrists, her sleeves sliding back to reveal a pair of metallic claws.  
Speedy fired another shot at the assassin, who was now approaching with rapid speed. To his dismay, Cheshire dodged the shot with ease, her mask's hideous smile grinning up at him as she approached.  
Suddenly, she was gone. Speedy moved towards the edge of the building, surveying the area for any sign of the assassin.  
"Looking for me?"  
Speedy felt a splitting pain in the back of his head, and toppled over the edge of the building. Quick to react, Speedy caught a hold of the ledge, trying to pull himself back up onto the surface of the roof.  
"Oh, you can't do that," said the cat, looking down on him with a grin. Speedy looked up at the assassin, his teeth grit in determination. Cheshire's cat mask just grinned evilly at him as she begin to apply pressure to his knuckles with her heals.  
"Think again!" Bumblebee yelled, diving at the assassin. Cheshire spun around and hurled a trio of throwing knives at the heroine, pinning her to the wall by her wings.  
Bumblebee had given Speedy just enough time to haul himself up onto the roof. He fired an arrow at the assassin, but she easily sidestepped the attack, turning around slowly to face him.  
"Lady," Speedy said, letting an arrow fly at the masked villain, "You don't know who your messing with."  
Cheshire laughed melodically, side stepping the shot with ease. "You try to act so tough, Tiger." she said, "but if I recall, I've beat you once before."  
Speedy's eyes narrowed. "You got lucky," he said, hopping onto an adjacent rooftop and firing at the assassin as she zigged and zagged towards him.  
The two combatants hopped from rooftop to rooftop, exchanging blows all the way. Speedy lost track of the streets and the time, too caught up in trying to survive to pay attention to details. Clouds were rolling in, from all directions, but it did not matter.  
Suddenly Speedy stopped, looking around him in panic as he tried to catch his breath. The buildings to his left and to his right were too high to jump, and in front of him lay the wooded landscape of Steel City park. He was trapped.  
"No where to go but down." came the mocking voice of the assassin, sending a chill down his neck. In any other situation, he would have turned around— but turning around was not an option. He took her advice.  
Speedy jumped, wincing as he hit the hard surface of the ground. There was a soft swish behind him, and he did not have to look to know that the assassin had followed suit. It wasn't long before he was deep in the underbrush, surrounded on all sides by foliage.  
He ran through the trees, firing shot after shot at the robed villain, but never hitting her. Her hideous cat mask grinned down at him the entire time, its sharp smile and demonic green eyes following him wherever he went.  
"Why do you where a mask?" Speedy gasped, stepping out into a clearing, "Is there something wrong with your face?" He had not sounded as tough as he would have hoped—he was so tired.  
Cheshire laughed again, beautifully and terribly. "Oh, please, Tiger." She purred, leaping at him with eerie grace, "If you were wanted in thirty-seven different countries, I doubt you would want to be recognized either."  
Speedy fired at her air-born form, but she twisted her body in the air to avoid his shots. Before he could act further, she slammed her heals into his chest, sending him flying backwards into the woods. He stumbled to his feet, but before he could so much as lift his bow she had knocked him sideways with a blow from her weighted hair, sending him onto his hands and knees.  
His mind was frozen, he couldn't think clearly. Was this how it was all going to end? It couldn't be, he wouldn't let it be. His mind focused, registering the heals of the villain right in front of him. He gasped for air, and rose to his feet once more.  
It was to no avail. Cheshire was already on top of him, pinning him to the a large willow tree with her claws, her devilish green mask meeting his terrified eyes.  
"It's over, Tiger." Cheshire hissed, and drew back her claws.  
"NO!" Speedy yelled, and in one last, desperate motion, he shut his eyes and flailed out at the assassin with his fist. A sense of pain went up his fists to his arm as he made contact with something solid, and felt it give way. Slowly, he opened his eyes.  
Instead of the dreadful catlike face with a demonic grin, he found himself looking into a pair of alluring emerald green eyes that glimmered in the night, eyes which seemed to know so much more than he did. Instead of the wide, unearthly grin, the villain bore lips of a dark red tinge. Speedy stared at the face of his attacker, who to his surprise bore a slight smirk upon her well rounded face.  
"Speedy! Speedy, where are you?"  
Cheshire recoiled at the sound of Bumblebee's voice, looking over her shoulder as if she expected the Titan to be standing right behind her. Then she turned back to him, her dark eyes meeting Speedy's in a way that made his gut tie itself in a knot.  
"I guess I underestimated you, Tiger," Cheshire said calmly, and slipped off into the night, leaving Speedy alone and confused. Slowly, he reached down and picked up the Cat-mask that the villain had sported, placing it on his back alongside his arrows.

**Act Two**

Weather always seemed to be worse when things were going badly, and today was no exception. A thunderstorm had blacked out the sky, and the downpour of water was something that only Aqualad could handle. Speedy watched the rain patter down against his window as he lay in his bed, his arm being bandaged by Bumblebee as Aqualad gave instructions on the proper use of seaweed to suture a wound.  
"How's Everyone?" Speedy asked Bumblebee.  
Bumblebee looked back at Speedy, and then to Aqualad. "Aqualad and I are fine. Más is… well, he's…alive. But that… that is about all he has going for him, right now."  
"What?" Speedy said, wincing as Bee applied the sea-plant to the cut.  
"He's been poisoned, and we don't know what kind of poison it was. We are trying to find an antidote, but…" Her voice cracked, she gulped before continuing. "But I don't know… if he will make it."  
"Menos is with him now." Aqualad added, motioning vaguely to the hallway. "We can't get him to leave his brothers side."  
There was a few moments of silence, interrupted only by the thunder and lightning that the weather was throwing at the city.  
"You need anything, Speedy?" Bumblebee said after finishing up the bandage, looking at him with concern.  
"I think… I think I need some time alone." Speedy replied. "Why don't you two… help Menos. He needs it more than I do."  
Bumblebee and Aqualad left his room, leaving Speedy alone with his thoughts. He gazed out the window, watching the rain splash against the glass.  
He never really had gotten along with the twins. Their annoying behavior was only amplified by his inability to understand anything that they said. But right now, he wanted nothing more than to see Más live. Whatever Cheshire had used on Más, it must have been some pretty rare stuff for Aqualad to not have some strange marine plant to cure it with.  
Cheshire's face floated to the forefront of his mind. Maybe it was something about her, but Speedy was more terrified of her now then he had been ever before. The way she smiled at him unnerved him more then the way she had hunted him down, more then the way her mask laughed at his weaknesses.  
Speedy forced his mind away from the face of the assassin, and turned back to Más. If there was going to be any chance of saving him, they had to find an antidote fast—but how?  
Suddenly, it hit him. It was a stupid idea, but the only idea he could think of. "If it could work… I owe it to Más to try…" He said quietly to himself, gathering up his things, and grabbing the hideous cat mask he had claimed as a victory prize. Then, checking the hall for the other titans, he slipped out into the night.

Steel City Park was closed to the public at night, but Speedy hopped over the fence into the park ground all the same. Knocking an arrow to his bow, he began to comb the woods for any sign of the feminine assassin.  
"Cheshire!" he called, looking out into the woods that surrounded him. His boots squished in the mud, and subconsciously he scolded himself for ruining a perfectly good outfit. What was he doing? This was crazy, maybe suicidal. None the less, he called again. "Cheshire!" He yelled, "You can't hide forever!"  
Suddenly he spun around, pointing his bow directly behind him. "Don't even think about it." Cheshire froze, her claws posed a few inches away from his neck. Then she let her arms drop by her side, a sly smile crossing his face.  
"I don't know what your thinking, Tiger," she purred, "Looking for me in the dark." Her eyes glittered dangerously, and her smile widened. "You could get hurt."  
"I can handle it." He replied, stepping backwards, away from that alluring smile with its promise of death. "I came here to talk to you, Cheshire."  
"Talk to me?" she chortled, causing Speedy's stomach to knot up again. "Your attitude is cute, Tiger…" she continued, brushing a damp lock of hair out of her eyes, "But you should know better then to fraternize with villains." Suddenly, she fired of a trio of throwing knives in his direction with a flourish. Speedy was forced to duck to avoid the knives, lobbing several shots in the direction of the assassin. She dodged them all with ease, rain streaming down her almost flawless face as she grinned at him.  
"You amuse me, Tiger. If you had not seen my face, I might have been able to let you live." She leaped into the air with a graceful twirl, and seemed to hang in the air for a moment before she slammed her heels into Speedy's chest, sending him flying backwards. "Of course," she continued as she landed softly on the ground, "Now that you have, I have no choice."  
Speedy had barely risen to his feet when he was forced to dive sideways to avoid another one of Cheshire's knives. "You sound almost as if you regret it." He spat, firing a round of shots in her direction. Cheshire laughed, but made no response as she sidestepped the shots, her hair trailing in a cool arch behind her.  
Suddenly, she was on top of him, pinning him to the tree with her right-hand claw, his face close to him, smiling devilishly. "So," she cooed, causing Speedy to feel more uneasy than ever, "Tell me, Tiger," her voice dropped to a low whisper as he poised her right hand in a finishing strike, "Is there something wrong with my face?"  
Speedy tore himself away from the holding blades just in time to avoid being skewered by a strike from Cheshire's left hand set. Cheshire growled throatily, and tried to loosen her claws from the tree in which they had become so deeply embedded. Speedy scrambled back to his feet, loading another shot from his quiver. "Just stop a moment and listen to me!" Speedy fumed at her as he let the arrows fly. Cheshire pulled herself free from the bark just in time to slice away the arrow in mid-air.  
She did stop for a moment then, standing up slowly and looking him up and down as if examining him. Speedy relaxed a little, lowering his bow to speak.  
A blade nicked his shoulder and came to rest in a bush behind him with a sickening thud. Speedy raised his bow, but not in time to prevent the assassin from slamming her weighted hair into his side.  
"You let your guard down, Tiger." She hissed as he flew away and came to a hands and knees landing in the mud, his bow flying out of sight. "Unless you want to talk about your funeral arrangements, I don't think we have much to discuss at this rate."  
Speedy rose to his feet slowly, his face frozen. This was all going wrong, he was a fool to even have thought this would work. "Cheshire, please…" he muttered quietly, glancing desperately around for any sign of his bow.  
"It's to late, Tiger." She said, her eyes narrowing as her hair swung hypnotically behind her, "You never fold when you still have all the cards."  
She pounced at him, her claws outstretched and she flew through the air. Speedy ducked, and grabbed her by the sides, causing her to gasp. With all his effort, Speedy tossed her off to the side. She landed on all fours, rising up to face him once again, her eyes glittering in the dark. Speedy's heart was racing, cold from the constant onslaught of the storm and assassin. He knew he could not keep this up forever, not alone, not at night, not unarmed. Speedy took one last look into the glittering emeralds that promised many things he did, and did the only thing left to do—he ran.

**Act Three**

"What's the matter, Tiger?" Cheshire called, her voice to close for comfort as he stumbled through the underbrush, "Don't you like to play rough?"  
Speedy could see the edge of the park in front of him. He gritted his teeth, running full speed towards the open air. If he could just get out of the forest, he would have a much better chance of survival. The opening crept towards him, and with a last burst of energy, he stepped out into the streetlights. He glanced behind him, and saw to his relief that Cheshire was nowhere to be found.  
Suddenly, he realized just how tired he was. Stopping to catch is breath, he leaned against the door of a nearby music store. To his relief, the door was unlocked, and he slipped inside the music store, safe from the rain and the feminine onslaught he had brought upon himself. "Man," he panted, "how do Más he Menos keep this up?"  
Speedy hobbled through the store, and plopped down behind a bunch of drums to catch his breath. His heart was racing as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his communicator. "Hey, Chief?"  
"Speedy, where the heck are you?" Bumblebee said, looking at him through the communicator screen, "I went to go check on you and—"  
THWACK! Speedy's communicator flew out of his hand, flying off into the distance along with the knife that impaled it. "Come now, Tiger…" came Cheshire's voice, cooing softly at him as he spun around to meet the source of the voice, "You should never leave a women to herself, it's not polite."  
"No…" Speedy said, backing away from his assailant only to trip over a guitar that was being displayed prominently on a stand. Cheshire smiled calmly at him, sauntering forward as if greeting a close friend.  
"If it was not for the muddy trail you left, you might have gotten away." She said, an icy undertone to her voice that stung more than the sharpest blade. "You wanted to capture me yourself, so fight me like a man." She grabbed a cymbal and hurled it at him like a Frisbee, causing Speedy to dive off to the side in a desperate attempt to avoid the instrument.  
"I didn't come to turn you in." Speedy said through gritted teeth. Her attack had given him an idea, and he now held one of the string guitars in his hand, "I was hoping to reason with you!" Sliding an arrow into the strings of the guitar like a crossbow, he pulled the string back, and fired the shot at the alluring assassin.  
The shot traveled with satisfying speed and accuracy, but Cheshire swatted it away as if swatting a fly, laughing airily at him. "Reason with me?" She mocked, smiling at him as if at a child, "Once your gone, Tiger, I will be free again. No fears, no worries. No one can turn me in." She dodged another shot from the makeshift crossbow, and her energetic face suddenly darkened. "I'm not going to be caged, Tiger."  
She launched herself at Speedy, who swung his guitar as hard as he could and the attacking villain, sending her veering off course. Cheshire flipped backwards unnaturally, rebounding off the floor at the archer, who dropped the now broken instrument while diving out of the way of the attack.  
Speedy positioned himself behind large gothic harp, pulling out the rest of his ammunition. He fired shot after shot at the assassin, who gracefully zigged and zagged closer to him, dodging every arrow he fired. Finally, with a graceful leap, she cut the strings of the harp and pinned him to the wall.  
"You should not have come looking for me, Tiger." She said, her voice full of disappointment that Speedy was unable to pinpoint as fake or genuine. "I might have let you live another year or two if you hadn't. "You should have enjoyed your life, and your freedom, while it lasted."  
"You will be tried for murder, Cheshire." Speedy said, gasping for breath.  
She grinned. "Tiger, you insult me. I never leave any evidence behind. And with you gone, they can't possibly pin a face to any of my crimes."  
"I suppose your right." Speedy said, smiling grimly. "I mean, unless someone provided surveillance footage, you have nothing to worry about."  
Cheshire's face froze, her claws hanging limply by her sides. "Surveillance?"  
"Yeah. Like the kind they have in music stores."  
"I caught that." Cheshire said. "I got caught up in the chase, never… stopped to think. How… unlike me." Her face was screwed up, as if she had just swallowed something nasty.  
"What's more important to you?" Speedy asked, looking into those dark green eyes and trying to unravel the mysteries they held, "Revenge… or your freedom? Because you can't have both."  
Cheshire looked back at him, really looked back at him, and Speedy was paralyzed by her gaze. There was a few seconds of silence before Cheshire spoke. "Alright, Tiger." She whispered, "I'm listening. What is it you want from me?"  
"I want the antidote to the poison you used on Más." Speedy said.  
"That's it?"  
"That's what I came for."  
"You want to save your friend…and for this you risked your own life?" she said, as if not registering his words. Suddenly, she broke the gaze, and laughed eerily. "You are pathetically noble, Tiger." She turned back to Speedy, the dangerous glitter back in her eyes, and reaching inside her robes pulled out a small, silver bottle full of a glittering liquid. She shook it lightly, and then closed her hands around it.  
The uncanny feeling in his gut was stronger than ever as he looked into her emerald eyes, but despite all his searching, he could find no sign of deceit. "Alright, Cheshire. You have a deal." He reached for the bottle, but Cheshire stepped away from him, her smile teasing him as she held the bottle just out of his reach.  
"Easy, Tiger." She purred, "If you want something from me, you have got to give me what I need first."  
Speedy paused, and then slowly reached into his pack, pulling out the hideous cat mask Cheshire had worn during their first encounter. He gripped in tightly in hands, still unsure that he was choosing wisely in handing it over.  
Cheshire smiled at the sight of the mask, and, sauntering up to him, she placed the bottle inside Speedy's hands, her eyes level with him. Sliding her hand over the mask, she plucked it out of Speedy's grip. "That's a good boy." She purred, turning away from the hero to face the door. "Now, I am afraid I must be off."  
"Wait." Speedy called, causing Cheshire to stop in her tracks. The feeling of unease was still in his stomach. "How do I know this is the real antidote?"  
Cheshire turned back towards the hero, a sly smile on her face as she leaned uncomfortably close to the archer. "Because, Tiger," she purred, and with her fingernails scraping gently against his cheeks, she kissed him.  
After a few moments, or perhaps hours or days, their lips broke apart. Cheshire smiled slyly, drawing back her hand from Speedy's face and spreading her figures for Speedy to examine. "My fingernail polish contains the same venom I used on your friend. If you're alive tomorrow, then that's the real antidote."  
"You—!" Speedy began angrily, but Cheshire put a figure to his lips, silencing him.  
"Remember Tiger— if I see the police I will know who sent them. There is only enough antidote in that bottle for two people."  
With a eerie laugh, she slipped her mask back over her face, and disappeared out the door into the night, leaving Speedy staring into the darkness, caressing his slowly burning cheek.

"That was possibly the stupidest thing you have ever done, Speedy." Bumblebee scolded, "But it worked, so what can I say."  
"¡Pensé que mi hermano era muerto para seguro!" Menos sobbed joyfully, "¡Agradezca a dios que usted encontró el antídoto!"  
"It was nothing, really." Speedy said, smiling. "She dropped a bottle when I was fighting her, and I happened to pick it up." Suddenly, he found himself pinned under the twins, who had tackled him in a death hug.  
"¡Su el mejor!" Más cried, "¡Usted ahorró mi vida!"  
"¡Y para pensar nos pensamos que usted era un tirón!" Menos added.  
"Okay, Okay guys. That's enough." Speedy said, slightly annoyed with the twins again. "It really was nothing." To his dismay, Más y Menos did not budge. "Seriously guys, get off of me. Now. I SAID GET OFF."  
Más y Menos got up, and shook their heads. "¿Usted entiende qué conduce a este individuo?" Más asked his brother.  
"No, pienso que él es clase de loco." Menos replied. They touched hands, and were gone.  
Speedy rose to his feet, brushing the dirt off his cloths and combing his hair. "Little twirps." He muttered.  
"Well, like them or not, Speedy." Bumblebee said, "You did a good thing today. I didn't know you had it in you."  
"Next time, however, don't try to play solo hero." Aqualad said, flipping through the tower monitors for information on the masked assassin. "If the rest of us had been with you, Cheshire would be in prison right now instead of out on the loose."  
"I don't think we need to worry about Cheshire." Speedy said quickly, causing Bumblebee to look at him strangely, "I mean," He said with a forced laugh, "I beat her pretty badly, I don't think she will be looking for a rematch any time soon."  
Bumblebee looked at him, disbelievingly. "Well," she said, "Regardless of how well you fought…" she pause for a second before continuing, "The fact is that Cheshire is, and remains, a rouge criminal in Steel City. I have no doubt going to run into her again, and when we do, the Titans East will put her where she belongs for good. People like her don't deserve to be free."  
"No…" Speedy said slowly, looking out into the sunrise, trying to figure out exactly what had happened that night in his head. "I don't suppose they do."

**Credits**


End file.
